23rd Annual Pontiac Uprising

For the past 23 years, the Greater Wichita Pontiac Club has hosted Pontiac Uprising, a show-and-go event that draws Pontiacs and their owners from Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas for a weekend of sportsmanship, camaraderie, and good ol’ Pontiac fun.

Last year’s event was no exception. The festivities kicked off on Friday, October 6, 2012, with a tech seminar presented by former Pontiac dealership owner Byron Stout, and a silent auction, which netted GTOAA members Cap and Robin Proffitt a Snap-on Tools Mini Fridge.

2/12Russ Engman took home Best of Show with his resto-mod ’72 Firebird Formula.

The next day, Pontiac owners bundled up for the 40-degree temps, and headed out to Kansas International Dragway (KID) for drag racing and a Pontiac-only car show. The track opened its lanes at 8:30 a.m, allowing racers to get time runs in early. Meanwhile, Pontiac show cars filled the pit area, all vying for bragging rights and competing for coveted trophies.

Pontiac Uprising always has a rain date, and for good reason. Before eliminations began, inhospitable rain parked itself over the track, effectively shutting down the drag-race program and forcing many attendees back to the host hotel for informal impromptu receptions.

“Racers came back Sunday with bright clear skies and 57-degree perfect racing weather,” notes Jim White, who photographed the event for HPP. “The returning racers and crowd were not disappointed either. It was round after round of good racing.”

The 24th Annual Pontiac Uprising will be held October 4-5, 2013, and the host hotel is the Best Western Inn Airport Inn in Wichita. For more information, visit www.wichitagto.com or contact Tom Wilhite at (316) 788-0514.

12/12 Alan Reed’s ’09 G8 GXP showed off its musclecar manners, earning First Place in Ram Air class.

HPP wishes to thank Cap and Robin Proffitt for their help in compiling this story.